Belfast Hosts Inaugural Output Music Conference

Belfast City Council next month is hosting Northern Ireland’s largest ever one-day music conference, Output, which takes place in The MAC and the Oh Yeah Centre on Thursday October 16.

The conference will be attended by around 350 artists, businesses and creative students, and will address the challenges and opportunities that the music industry presents, highlighting the key role that music and performance plays within Northern Ireland’s buoyant creative industries sector.

Organised in partnership with the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure and Invest NI music industry development programme Generator NI, the Output conference will include panel discussions, music sessions, workshops and speed networking events as well as keynote speeches from Grammy and Brit award-winning musicians and managers of globally recognised talent.

'The economic and cultural contribution and potential of the creative industries is widely acknowledged,' commented councillor Deirdre Hargey, chair of the council’s Development Committee.

'The council’s ongoing support for creative and digital industries includes support for those working in the fields of film, music, digital media and design to achieve their true economic and creative potential.

'This unique one day event is designed to provide a high quality, internationally recognised conference and showcasing event that will help to underpin and accelerate the development of skills, networks and market opportunities for artists and businesses in Belfast’s burgeoning music industry sector.'

Speakers at the Output conference will include Andrea Madden, music supervisor on Made in Chelsea; Hugh Platt, deputy editor of Thrash Hits magazine; Tom Robinson from BBC 6 Music; artist, performer and motivational speaker Andrew WK; The X Factor finalist, Janet Devlin; and BBC Young Folk Musician Of The Year Aidan O’Rourke. Composer and cellist Peter Gregson and Niall Byrne of leading music blog Nialler 9 will also appear.

In the evening there will be a range of free musical showcases in venues across the Cathedral Quarter. These showcases will give the media and industry delegates – as well as local music lovers – the opportunity to see and hear the best emerging performing talents in many genres. Details of artists and venues will be announced at the end of September 2014.

Output is one of several exciting music initiatives taking place in Belfast this autumn, including the Red Bull Music Academy from September 25 – 28, the Big Music Project on October 18, and Sounds Of Belfast, including the annual NI Music Prize, organised by the Oh Yeah Centre from November 12 – 15.